What is Ableton Link?

- [Voiceover] Ableton Link is a new way of synchronizingbetween two or more computers using Ableton Live.When syncing using MIDI,we need to have one computer masterand the rest are slaves.Meaning the slave machines can not change the BPMand they can not control the Global TransportPlay Start buttons when synced.Ableton Link is new type of synchronization.There are no masters or slaves,anyone can join at any timeand leave at any time.

Also everyone can change the BPM.Ableton Link works on shared network.So if you are connected to the same Wi-Fi networkyou should be ready to jam using Ableton Link.Link is also available for iOS.There are more and more apps that support Link.It allows for seamless synchronizationbetween these apps across multiple devices,or even on the same device and Ableton Live.So for example, you can start a jamwith two people on two iPhones,two people on two iPads,and two people on computers.

Of course two is just an arbitrary number,you can jam even 20 or 30 people if you'd like.That being said, it is important to knowthat Ableton Link is only for synchronizingthe timing of all machines.The audio will still come outof the built-in speakers of each machine.And you might want to consider getting a mixerfor your Ableton Link jams.If you're an iOS developeryou can get the LinkKitwhich is a free Ableton Link SDKto implant in your own apps.

Jamming with other peopleusing electronic instruments is funand now easier than everthanks to Ableton Link.

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Released

5/13/2016

Ableton Link is a simple but vital utility that helps musicians collaborate. With Link, they can sync Ableton Live tracks with the sounds captured on other computers and any Link-enabled iOS music-making apps. It's one of the easiest ways to make sure everyone in your sessions is "in time"—no cables required. In this short course, author Yeuda Ben-Atar quickly demonstrates his techniques for using Ableton Link to set up and synchronize multiple computers and iOS devices, and demos the Link workflow in a short jam session featuring Ableton Live and the Ableton Push controller.

Note: Ableton Live is not required to use Link. It works with dozens of supported apps. See the complete list here.